Centrifugal pump structure



Oct. 13, 1936. A. c. SAXE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1931 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

0d. 13, 3.936. A c E 4 2,057,634

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP STRUCTURE Filed NOV. 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 T ATTORNEYS? Oct. 13, 1936. A. c. SAXE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR. flu? C. w BY k V V Patented Oct. .13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP STRUCTURE corporation of Ohio Application November 2, 1931, Serial No. 572,666

3 Claims.

My invention relates to Centrifugal pump structure. It has to do, more particularly, with centrifugal pumps which are designed to be used in the removal of Water from an excavation, a1-

5' though it is not necessarily limited thereto.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a centrifugal pump which will be self-primed under practically all conditions of operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lo centrifugal pump having a compartment for the priming water which is of such a nature and so disposed in relation to the impeller and the impeller chamber that all danger of clogging by mud and silt or other solids will be obviated.

5 Another object of my invention is to provide a self priming centrifugal pump which is of a simple and compact structure and which has all the parts readily accessible for inspection or repair.

530 In its preferred form, my invention preferably contemplates the provision of an impeller chamber of volute form which is eccentrically disposed within a larger and substantially cylindrical compartment which is adapted to contain the priming liquid. The impeller chamber empties into the larger compartment. In addition, however, the impeller is designed to be supplied with priming liquid, whenever necessary, through the medium of a passage leading from the outer 3o compartment through the suction chamber and into the impeller. This passage is under the control of a valve which is heldopen by means of a spring or other mechanism, as long as there is excess air in the suction chamber or line to 3.3 permit admission of the priming liquid into such line. This valve is designed to close when the pump creates sufficient suction to actuate a piston provided for closing the valve, the spring or other mechanism being capable of predetermined A adjustment so that the valve may be set to opcrate only when water pumped.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is .shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein is being adequately 45 similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of my self-priming pump.

Figure 2 is a section taken at right angles to 50 the axis of my centrifugal pump and along line 2- -2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail, in section, diagrammati- 55 cally showing the priming valve open to permit the passage of water to the impeller to effect a priming action.

Figure 5 is a detail, in section, diagrammatically showing the priming valve closed under the influence of suction created by the column 5 of water produced by the eifectual operation of the pump.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus which I preferably use in the embodiment of my invention.

Figure '7 is a detail, in section, diagrammatically showing a modified form of myapparatus.

Figures 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustrating a further modified form of my invention.

In the drawings, my invention is shown as comprising an impeller l which is carried by a rotatable shaft 2 that is designed to be driven by a motor 3 (Figure 6) or by any other type of prime mover. This impeller I is mounted within a volute chamber 4 having an axial inlet 2 5 and an outlet at 6.

The impeller chamber is eccentrically disposed within a container 7. The construction is such that the wall 8 of the container also becomes one wall of the impeller chamber. The container 1 H may be provided with a supporting base 9 and preferably has a discharge port I0 upon the upper side thereof.

In coaxial alignment with the port 5 of the impeller chamber is a suction chamber II which may be integrally formed with the side wall l2 of the impeller chamber and which preferably extends outwardly through the side wall l3 of the container I. This suction chamber is designed for communication with a. suction hose i4.

At the point of juncture between the suction chamber II and the suction hose I4 there is provided a valve seat I5 having a one-way flapvalve 3 which is pivoted at its upper side, as at IT. Disposed directly above this flap valve I6 is a supplemental chamber l8 which may be integrally formed upon the wall I3 of the container 1. Leading from this chamber I8 is a pipe l9 whose opposite end is connected with the interior of a cylinder 20. Disposed within the cylinder 20 is a piston 2| having connected thereto a pitman which is in turn connected to a crank 22- of an oscillatable valve 23. The oscillatable valve 23 is mounted within a valve housing 24 and controls a passageway 25 which leads from the interior of the container 1 to the interior of the suction chamber II.

The valve 23 is normally held in open position by means of a coil spring 26 which has one end connected to the valve crank 22 and its other end connected to a lever 21 which is adjustable in connection with a series of calibrations to permit setting of the spring to any desired tension. The structure is such that, when the pump is not operating or when there is an excess of air in the suction chamber II, the spring 26 will be effective to maintain the valve 23 in open position and this open position of the valve will continue until water is being adequately pumped. The adequate pumping which must occur before the valve 23 will close is predetermined by the setting of the lever 21 and the consequent degree of tension imposed upon the coil spring 26.

It is quite desirable that the valve 23 be caused to move either into open or closed position with a quick snapping action. In order to ensure this,

I have provided intermediate the length of the crank 22 a cam-like formation 22 which-is designed to cooperate with the roller 30 which is carried upon the side wall |3 of the container 1. This roller 3|] -is preferably rotatably mounted upon the upper end of the stem 3| which is carried in a socket 32 and normally maintained at its outward position by means of an adjustable coil spring 33.

When the crank 22 is moved to the left; its cam-like end 22' rides over the roller 30 until the outermost point of this cam is beyond the high point of said roller, whereupon the further,

movement of the crank is completed with a snapping action. The apparatus operates in a similar manner when the crank moves toward the right upon the application of sufiicient vacuum to move the piston sufficiently to close the valve. In this case, as in the opening operation, the cam-like portion of the crank 22; rides over the roller 30 until the high point of this cam has passed thereover, whereupon the pressure of the spring 33 completes the movement of'the crank and the valve with a snap. p c

My invention further embodies, within the container 1, a baflie plate 28, which extends upwardly from the suction chamber I l and outwardly from the impeller chamber 4 in a substantially radial direction, with relation to said suction chamber. This baffle plate 28 is disposed in the upper portion of the container! but is of less width than In operation, the container 1 is preferably substantially filled with water. I The initial rotation of the impeller serves to circulate priming water through the impeller chamber, into the priming fluid compartment, through the passageway 25 and suction chamber back into the impeller chamber. Since this water is insufiicient to satisfy the impeller, the partial vacuum resulting draws air from the suction chamber andfrom the suction line. This operation continues, with the passageway 25 being maintained open and with the priming fiuidc'ontinuously circulating until a preselected degree'of vacuum exists in the suction line. Theapparatus maybe so adjusted that the priming fluid passageway 25 will be closed byit s valve at the instant the column The battle plate functions to intercept of water in the suction line enters the suction chamber II, or immediately before this instant. If desired, however, the passageway may be held open for a substantial period after the pumping action has actually begun. The closing of the priming, fluid valve is effected by the occurrence of a preselected degree of vacuum in the suction line with a consequent drawing of the piston 2| to .tga head of the cylinder 20 in the closing of the valve23, as illustrated in Figure 5. Obviously, the discontinuance of the operation of the pump or the temporaryv occurrence of an excessive quantity ofl air in the suction line will reduce the vacuum applied to the piston 2| and permit the spring. 26 to open the valve 23 to admit priming fluid from the container 1 into the suction chamber and thence to the impeller.

It will likewise be apparent that the operation of the pump serves to discharge water from the impeller chamber in such a manner that it will travel around the interior of the container I. Part of this water will pass outwardly through the discharge port lll but a portion of it will travel entirely around the interior of the container. as long as the pump is in operation, the water being discharged from the impeller chamber will be maintained in constant motion to a suflicient extent to ensure that all dirt, silt or other extraneous matter .will ultimately be carried through the port I 0 with a consequent avoidance of settling of this material within the container and clogging of this container or the passageway 25.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Figure '7. In this figure, the valve 23 hasbeen replaced by a butterflyvalve 30. Also, the'pipe l3 has been replaced by a pipe 3| which extends from the suction hose in the rear of vthe flapvalve, instead of from the suction chamber.' The operation of this structure will be substantially identical with the operation of the preferred form. I

A further modification of my invention is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, whichare substantially identical in principle. The operation of these structures is substantially identical with the operation of the structures previously described. They differ, however, in certain respects which will now be pointed out.

Instead of using a cylindrical valve, I have provided a; balanced valve 35 which is carried upon trunnions 36 centrally disposed upon opposite sides thereof. In'Figure 8, the valve 35 is provided with a downwardly extending lug 31 carrying a pin 38 which extends into a'slot 39 of a lever. 40. The lever '40 ispivotally mounted at its lower end upon a pivot pin 4| andis provided intermediate its length with a slot 42.

This slot '42 is adapted to receive a pin 43 which I is carried upon a stem 44 that passes through a sleeve 45 which is threaded into a wall 45 formstem 44 is embraced by a coil spring 50' which abuts at one end against the adjustable sleeve" 45 and at the other end against the collar 5|.

The spring 5|] is effective to assist in moving the valve 35 to open position when there is not sumcient vacuum in the pipe 49 to bring about or maintain closing of the valve. The tension of this spring may be adjusted by adjustment of the sleeve 45.

The stem 44 is further provided in betweenthe sleeve 45 and the diaphragm 41 with a cam 52 having a high central ridge 53 with'inclined surfaces on both sides thereof. Mounted for cooperation with this cam 52 is a roller 54 which is rotatably supported by a hollow plunger 55. The plunger 55 is carried in a housing 56 which is integrally formed upon the wall of the chamber 48 and which is closed at its lower end by means of a nut 51. Disposed within the hollow plunger 55 is a coil spring 58 which rests at its lower end upon the nut 51 and whose tension may be adjusted by this nut:

It will be understood that this resiliently supported plunger with the roller carried thereon will cooperate with the cam 52 to complete the opening or closing-of the valve with a snap action. In other words, as the stem 44 moves to open the valve, the cam 52 will ride over the roller 54 until the ridge 53 of this cam passes the center of this roller, whereupon the roller will ride down the right inclined surface of the cam to snap the valve into open position. In the closing action, the cam 52 will move to the left and ride upwardly over the roller 54 until the ridge 53 of the cam passes the center thereof, whereupon the spring-pressed roller will ride down the left inclined surface of the cam to effect closing of the valve with a snap action.

It will be apparent that the action of the diaphragm-operated structure is substantially identical with the action of the piston-operated structure previously described. In other words, the diaphragm will move to the right upon predetermined vacuum conditions to bring about closure of the valve. The degree of vacuum required to effect this closure may be regulated by adjustment of the coil spring 50 which will also assist in moving the diaphragm to the left and 'opening the valve when the partial vacuum produced is inadequate to prevent this movement.

The structure of the device shown in Figure 9 and the operation thereof is identical with that shown in Figure 8, with the exception that the trunnion 36 upon which the valve is mounted extends outwardly through the wall of the container and carries a crank 60 which is disposed outside of the container. The lower end of this crank is provided with a pin 61 which extends into the slot 39 of the lever 40 so that the lever may readily operate the valve through the medium of the said crank. In this case, chamber 62, stem 63, spring 65, sleeve 66 and collar 64 correspond with chamber 48, stem 44, spring 50, sleeve 45 and collar 5|. However, stem 63, spring 65, and collar 64, in this case, are disposed entirely on the outside of the container.

It will be seen from this that I have provided .an extremely simple form of centrifugal pump which has a self-priming mechanism of compact and efficient form. The entire structure is sightly and, yet, the various parts thereof are readily accessible for inspection or repair. The selfpriming feature is simple and readily'accessible and the chamber for containing the priming liquid, as well as the means for controlling the delivery of the liquid into the suction chamber, is such as to ensure continuous operation without clogging of said delivery controlling means or other parts of the apparatus. Furthermore, it will be apparent that, by delivering the water from my impeller chamber into a body of water which is already in motion, I am able to decrease the resistance to the expulsion of water from the impeller chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A self-priming pump structure comprising a priming fluid compartment, an impeller chamber within said compartment, an impeller in said chamber, a priming fluid port, a valve controlling said port, a suction line leading into said impeller chamber, and means independent of pressure in the delivery line and responsive solely to the static vacuum head produced in said suction line by circulation of the priming fluid for substantially closing said valve when a predetermined degree of vacuum has been produced in the suction line, and means comprising a snap action device to ensure snap closing and opening of said valve.

2. A self-priming pump structure comprising a priming fluid compartment, an impeller chamber within said compartment, an impeller in said chamber, a priming fluid port, a valve controlling said port, a suction line leading into said impeller chamber, and means independent of pressure in the delivery line and responsive solely to the static vacuum head produced in said suction line by circulation of the priming fluid for substantially closing said valve when a predetermined degree of vacuum has been produced in the suction line, means comprising a snap action device to ensure snap closing and opening of said valve, and an adjustable resilient means forming a part thereof.

3. A self-priming pump structure comprising a priming fluid compartment having a discharge outlet leading therefrom, an impeller chamber disposed within said priming fluid compartment, an impeller in said impeller chamber, a suction line leading into said impeller chamber and having a portion thereof disposed within said priming fluid compartment, said portion of said suction line having a restricted priming port formed therein, said priming port being located below the horizontal center plane of said suction line, a valve controlling said port, and a means independent of the pressure in the delivery line and responsive solely to the static vacuum head produced in said suction line by circulation of the priming fluid for substantially closing said valve, said means being inoperative to initiate closing of said valve until a predetermined degree of vacuum has been produced in the suction line and priming of the pump has been completed.

ARTHUR C. SAE. 

